One example is the Gokstad ship , a decorative war vessel. The Gokstad vessel The depth from railing to keel was 1. It has 16 boards or planks on either side. Board No. To these holes 32 shields were fastened with consecutive overlapping. Shields were painted alternatively yellow and black.
Thirty-two oars were found and the remains of three rowboats, the largest about 10 m long. The number of shields indicates a crew of about 70 men , making two shifts for rowing.
The chieftan was buried around the year AD. The Gokstad was built around and was " a fast and flexible ship that was suitable for voyages on the high seas. The remnants of thirty-two overlapping shields, alternately painted yellow and black, were fixed to each side Securely tied, they hung from a batten on the uppermost or sheer strake and not slotted behind a rail on the outside of the ship, as with Skuldelev 5.
There is also the Oseberg ship , another Norwegian vessel. The Oseberg vessel, similar to the Gokstad vessel is It has 12 board planks on either side, The upper board plank has 15 oarholes on either side. The shield plank is rather thin.
Per Bruun cites another example of a ship with shields, known as a Skuldelev 5 , probably built in Ireland. Below, a museum reproduction shows how the shields were held.
It is an example of the smallest category of warship, a snekkja, as mentioned in written sources from late Viking times and the early Middle Ages. The National Museum of Denmark concurs that the evidence from Skuldelev 5 indicates shields along the side:. The Skuldelev 5 warship from Roskilde Fjord has given us valuable knowledge about how shields were mounted on the side of a ship.
Along one side of the ship the remains of a so-called shield rack are preserved. It is therefore probable that the shields were not mounted until immediately before military action. Artwork also provides some evidence. Unfortunately, the details as to how and when the shields were attached to the ship if at all tend to be unclear not surprising given these are mostly stone engravings.
Possibly the best depiction is on an 8th or 9th century picture stone in Gotland, Sweden. Source: viking. Viking age stone, Gotland.
The ship depicted on the stone does not rank among the larger vessels, but is well equipped with shields along the gunwale and a resolute crew. Dated circa. There are other stone engravings, such as this Elaljurate Carving on a Sledge Shaft which show the shields a little more clearly, but then there are also stone engravings which show ships without shields along the side. The logical conclusion to draw from this is that the presence of shields along the side of a ship depended on a variety of factors.
Finally, there is also some evidence from coins but, again, it is unclear how the shields were attached. Coin, c. Since you are asking for "arguments from both sides" I give you my arguments, without references, except some pictures of somewhat later period. It is unlikely that the shields were hanging outside as shown in many modern pictures, when traveling:. A shield is a precious piece of equipment, if hanged overboard, it can be lost, and more importantly it will be permanently wet in salt water, which is certainly not good for it.
It is known, for example, that Greeks stored their shields is special leather cases even when traveling on land. This increases the strength of the shield and prevents it from splitting up. When looking at the shield from the opponents side, one would notice the size, as the shield would cover the bearer from the head to his legs.
The flexibility of the bearer would also be noticed, as the shield could be maneuvered much more freely than had it been fixed to the forearm, as is the norm with larger shields. When the Vikings were on the move, or not engaged in battle, the shield would be carried on the back using a leather sling. This reduces the weight a little, as well as giving extra protection from rear attacks. Though the shield was first and foremost a defense tool, its design and usability made it a dangerous weapon in the hands of a trained warrior.
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